Utility bins



C. O. BLISS UTILITY BINS Sept. 11, 1962 Filed Aug. 30, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INV EN TOR.

Cfi/a urs O. Buss i -*1 C?OQ\ A r TOP/1E) C. O. BLISS UTILITY BINS Sept. 11, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug 50, 1960 INVEN TOR.

C00 1. 0. Buss (5L nrraener United States Patent 3,053,397 UTILITY BINS Charles 0. Bliss, P.0. Box 47607, Los Angeles, Calif. Filed Aug. 30, 1960, Ser. No. 52,803 10 Claims. (Cl. 211-126) This invention relates to utility bins which may be readily stacked and are particularly useful for storing vegetables or other foods.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a bin assembly of stacked bins wherein the support ing members of a lower bin are provided with means for supporting an upper bin.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bin assembly of stacked bins wherein a lower bin is provided with trays which support an upper bin.

A further object is to provide a bin with removable trays which may be reversible so that the trays can be mounted inside or outside the bin, as desired or as required.

A further object is to provide a bin assembly, whose bins have cup-shaped members for supporting the bins in stacked relation and which have provision for holding a deodorant pill or similar article therein.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings of the presently pre ferred embodiment of this invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of a bin assembly in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the parts of the bin assembly in a disassembled condition;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view, on a larger scale, taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of part of a bin showing another embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the bin assembly 10 comprises the stacked bins 12, 14 and 16, which are identical and each comprises a front wall 18, rear 'wall 20, side walls 22, and a bottom Wall 24. These walls are preferably joined to each other in an integrally molded construction made of any suitable plastic. The corners of the bin are constituted by a tubular post 26 which is preferably integrally molded with the adjacent side walls of the bin. The posts are preferably hollow throughout their lengths and taper slightly from their upper ends to their lower ends so that the outside diameter of the lower end of the post is smaller than the inside diameter of the upper end of the post. Furthermore, the lower ends of the posts extend below the bottom wall 24 of the bin for a purpose which will be made clear hereinafter.

Each of the bins is provided with a pair of trays 28 which is mounted on the corresponding bin and is useful for storing small items while the bin itself may store the larger items. The tray comprises the side wall 30, the end walls 32 and the bottom wall 33, while the portion of the tray opposite side wall 30 is constituted by an opening 34 through which the items may be mounted or removed from the tray. Opening 34 is defined by the upper edge of a ledge 35 and the end walls 32 of the Patented Sept. .11, 1962 Each of the cup-like members 36 comprises a top opening 38 and a bottom wall 40 which form a socket so that each member 36 is adapted to receive the lower end of a corner post of an upper bin for supporting the upper bin in stacked relation with the lower bin. Accordingly, the outside diameter of each cup-like member 36 is slightly less than the inside diameter of the upper end of the associated corner post of the corresponding bin so that the tray may be mounted in the upper ends of a pair of posts, said hollow upper ends of the posts providing a socket into which the members 36 are inserted for mounting the tray.

The upper edge of each of the trays, along the side wall 30, cup-like members 36 and end walls 32 is constituted by a downturned channel 42, as bestseen in FIGS. 3 and 5, and this channel is adapted to overlie and straddle the upstanding lip 44 which is provided on the upper edge of each bin at each position of the trays as well as on the upper edge of the posts 26. Thus it will be seen that the tray is supported on its corresponding bin along a substantial length of the upper edge of the tray and the downturned channels 42 of the cup-shaped members 36 overlie and straddle the lips 44 on the upper edges of the corresponding posts 26. The top opening 38 of cup-like member 36 is slightly larger in diameter than the outside diameter of the lower end of the post so that the lower end of a post of an upper bin may be inserted in the cup-like member and is supported in its inserted position by the bottom wall 40 of the member. Accordingly, because of the supporting lip 44 provided on the bin and its posts and the engagement of the channel 42 of the tray and its cup-like member 36 with said lip, the load due to the weight of the upper bin and its contents is transmitted through the members 36 of the tray along the upstanding lip 44 of the lower bin, whereby the load of the upper bin is distributed to the lower bin and to the post of the lower bin over a relatively large part of the lower bin. i

It will be observed that since the lower ends of the posts 26 extend below the bottom wall 24' of the corresponding bin andare inserted in the cup-like members 36 of a lower bin, which limit the amount that the lower ends of the posts extend into the upper ends 'of the posts of the lower bin, a vertical opening 46 is provided on all four sides of the bin between the bottom wall of the bin and the upper edge of a lower him This opening 46 permits ready access to the trays 28 through any of the sides of the stacked bins as well as providing "access to the bins themselves. Furthermore, it'wi'll be Observed that the Walls of the bins converge toward each other from top to bottom and connecting members 58 join the lower parts of the walls of the bins to the adjacent posts 26. The lower ends of the connecting members terminate above the bottom wall of the corresponding bin. Because of the converging walls a horizontal space is provided on all four sides of the bin and the space is defined by the horizontal distance between the upper and lower edges of the walls of the, bin. This space and the vertical opening 46 form a relatively large opening on all four sides of the bins to permit easy access to the interior of the bins and the trays from any of the sides of the bins. The opening 60 provided in the front wall 18 of each bin also provides an access opening tothe' bin.

While the cup-shaped members 36 have been shown as integral parts of the trays, it will be understood that it is within the scope of the invention to provide the bins with such members which are not parts of the trays and which may be removably mounted inthe upper open ends of the posts of the bins.

Pursuant to another aspect of the invention, trays 28 may be provided, as illustrated in FIG. 6, which are reversible so that they can be mounted inside or outside the bin, as desired or as required. It will be observed that when the tray is mounted outside the bin, said bin is provided with additional capacity since the tray occupies no space inside the bin. Tray 28 is essentially the same as tray 28 but portions of side Wall 30, end walls 32 and cup-like members 36 have been omitted, as shown, in order to avoid interference from the posts 26 and handle 48 as well as the decorative trim 50 of the bin.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the bottom wall 40 of the cup-like members 36 of the tray may be provided with a vent opening 52 and the plugs 54 provided for closing the top opening 38 of the cup-like members of the upper trays may also be provided with a vent opening 56. The bottom wall 40 of each of the members 36 can support a deodorant pill or similar article whose vapors are free to pass through the vent openings 46 and 56 to escape into the bin and the surrounding air and help keep the space in the vicinity of the bins free of odors.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described, and that certain changes in the form and arrangement of parts and in the specific manner of practicing the invention may be made without departing from the underlying idea or principles of this invention within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bin assembly, comprising upper and lower bins positioned in stacked relation, each of said bins having a plurality of supporting posts, said lower bin having a tray provided with cup-shaped members, said posts of said lower bins having hollow upper ends each provided with a cup-shaped member of said tray inserted therein for supporting said tray on said lower bin, each of said cupshaped members having an open top and a bottom wall and being in position to receive the lower end of a post of said upper bin to support said upper bin in said stacked relation.

2. A bin assembly, comprising upper and lower bins positioned in stacked relation, each of said bins comprising side walls and a bottom wall and a plurality of supporting posts having the lower ends thereof extending below said bottom wall, said lower bin having a tray provided with cup-shaped members, said posts of said lower bins having hollow upper ends each provided with a cupshaped member of said tray inserted therein for supporting said tray on said lower bin, each of said cup-shaped members having an open top and a bottom wall spaced below said open top and each of said cup-shaped members being in position to receive the lower end of a post of said upper bin to support said upper bin in said stacked relation with a vertical space provided between the bottom wall of said upper bin and the upper edges of said side walls of said lower bin.

3. A bin assembly, comprising upper and lower bins positioned in stacked relation, each of said bins comprising side walls, a bottom wall, and tubular corner posts, joining adjacent side walls together, said corner posts extending below the bottom wall of the corresponding bin, and means mounted on said lower bin for engaging the lower ends of the posts of said upper bin for supporting said upper bin in said stacked relation with a vertical space provided between the bottom wall of said upper bin and the upper edges of said side walls of said lower bin, said means comprising a tray having cup-shaped members mounted in the upper ends of the posts of said lower bin in position to receive the lower ends of the posts of said upper bin.

4. A bin assembly, comprising upper and lower bins positioned in stacked relation, each of said bins comprising side walls, a bottom wall, and tubular corner posts joining adjacent side walls together, said corner posts extending below the bottom wall of the corresponding bin, said side walls of each bin converging downwardly toward each other so that the lower edge of a side wall is horizontally spaced from the upper edge of said side wall, and means mounted on said lower bin for engaging the lower ends of the posts of said upper bin for supporting said upper bin in said stacked relation with a vertical space provided between the bottom wall of said upper bin and the upper edges of said side walls of said lower bin, said means comprising a tray having cup-shaped members mounted in the upper ends of the posts of said lower bin in position to receive the lower ends of the posts of said upper bin.

5. A bin assembly, comprising upper and lower bins positioned in stacked relation, each of said bins comprising side walls, a bottom wall, and tubular corner posts joining adjacent side walls together, said corner posts extending below the bottom wall of the corresponding bin, said side walls of each bin converging downwardly toward each other so that the lower edge of a side wall is horizontally spaced from the upper edge of said side wall, a connecting member extending between each corner post across said horizontal space to the corner of a pair of adjacent side walls, the lower edge of said connecting member terminating above said bottom wall of the corresponding bin, and means mounted on said lower bin for engaging the lower ends of the posts of said upper bin for supporting said upper bin in said stacked relation with a vertical space provided between the bottom wall of said upper bin and the upper edges of said side walls of said lower bin, said means comprising a tray having cup-shaped members mounted in the upper ends of the posts of said lower bin in position to receive the lower ends of the posts of said upper bin.

6. A bin assembly, comprising upper and lowed bins positioned in stacked relation, each of said bins comprising sidewalls and a bottom wall and a plurality of supporting posts, said corner posts of said lower bin having hollow upper ends, said lower bin having a tray provided with side walls and cup-shaped members, said side walls and cup-shaped members having a continuous downturned channel along the upper edge thereof, said posts and side walls of said lower bin having an upstanding lip along the upper edges thereof disposed in said downturned channel with each of said cup-shaped members inserted in the hollow end of a post of said lower bin for supporting said tray on said lower bin, each of said cup-shaped members having an open top and a bottom wall and being in position to receive the lower end of a post of said upper bin to support said upper bin in said stacked relation.

7. A bin assembly, comprising upper and lower bins positioned in stacked relation, each of said bins having a plurality of supporting posts, said lower bin having a tray provided with cup-shaped members, said posts of said lower bins having hollow upper ends each provided with a cup-shaped member of said tray inserted therein for supporting said tray on said lower bin, each of said cup-shaped members having an open top and a bottom wall and being in position to receive the lower end of a post of said upper bin to support said upper bin in said stacked relation, said tray including means permitting the removable mounting thereof in at least two positions on said lower bin.

8. A bin adapted to be mounted in stacked relation, comprising side walls, a bottom wall, and tubular corner posts having open top hollow upper ends joining adjacent side walls together and extending below said bottom wall, said side walls converging downwardly toward each other so that the lower edge of a side wall is horizontally spaced from the upper edge of said side wall, and a tray having cup-like members inserted in each of said hollow upper ends of said posts for supporting said tray on said bin, each of said cup-shaped members having an open top and a bottom wall spaced below said open top and adapted to receive the lower end of a post of an upper bin for supporting said upper bin in spaced relation.

9. A tray adapted to be removably mounted 'on a bin, comprising side walls and a bottom wall integrally connected to each other, a pair of cup-shaped members pro vided at a pair of corners of said tray, each of said cupshaped members having an open top and a bottom wall for receiving a post of a bin positioned above said tray for supporting said bin in its upper position, and means for removably mounting said tray on said first mentionedn bin.

10. A tray adapted to be removably mounted on a bin,

comprising side walls and a bottom wall integrally connected to each other, a pair of cup-shaped members provided at a pair of corners of said tray, each of said cupshaped members having an open top and a bottom wall for receiving a post of a bin positioned above said tray for supporting said bin in its upper position, and means for removably mounting said tray on said first mentioned bin in at least two positions thereon.

Soper June 10, 1930 Schaefer Dec. 8, 1959 

